


The Clique

by Crowlows19



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily, batbros, batfam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 15:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20137432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowlows19/pseuds/Crowlows19
Summary: Tim helps Jason work a drug case at the prestigious Gotham Academy, hating every minute of it.





	The Clique

Tim should have thrown Jason out of his room as soon as he'd stepped foot in it. Maybe then he never would have been convinced to take this stupid case. Really, he had been surprised into it; Jason never came to the Manor these days and if he was on the property he was in the cave, being patched up, lectured, or both. Jason was very fond of saying that he was the only brother that Bruce couldn't lecture because he could simply ignore him. Bruce had retaliated by simply making his lectures longer and longer. In the end, the standard 10 minutes, 'I'm disappointed in you' lecture was extended into an hour and forty-five minute monologue. Jason would then disappear for a few weeks, annoyed.

So, Tim should have been far more guarded than he had been when Jason had sauntered in, in his civilian clothes, typing away on his phone, and looking to the world as if he belonged there. 

"What do you want?" Tim had asked, not even glancing up from his computer. 

"Got a case I need you on," Jason replied. "How do you feel about brushing up on your undercover work?" 

That piqued Tim's interest just as Jason had known it would and as Tim sat in Headmaster Johnson's office at Gotham Academy in a stiff uniform, getting lectured about starting school in the middle of the semester, and Jason and Roy's snickers coming over the comm in his ear, he cursed himself for being so easily manipulated. 

Never again would he let his guard down when a brother sauntered into his room. 

00000 

"So, you're a Wayne right?"

Tim was sitting in the lunchroom, trying to ignore everyone and everything. Jason had told him that his job was to look for a drug supply chain, but he was legitimately starting to think that the real mission was his humiliation. The commentary his comm line had received during his morning gym class had been enough to convince him of that. 

He looked up at the girl who'd inquired about his family lineage and took in the immaculate uniform, the slicked back, long blond hair, the perfect eyeliner, and the diamond encrusted watch. 

"Kiera Van Hanason," Jason whispered in his ear. "Comes from a social climbing family. New money from the tech business.”

"Yeah," Tim replied. "I'm Tim." 

"Kiera," she introduced. "You should come sit with us." She gestured over her shoulder at a group of kids that Tim was perfectly familiar with due to the many and varied Wayne Foundation events they were all forced to go to. He had never gotten to know any of them. The brothers were usually all clustered away in the corner, expect for Dick who actually enjoyed flitting from group to group, chatting. 

"Uh, sure," he said, standing and gathering his lunch and designer leather backpack that Jason wouldn't stop making fun of. "That would be great, thanks!" He was proud of himself for sounding more grateful by the time he'd gotten to the end of that sentence. Maybe Jason had been right. His undercover skills did need a refresher. 

"This is Tim Wayne," Kiera told the table when they arrived and curious looks turned smug. No matter what their personal feelings towards the Waynes, having one at your table was always an accomplishment. After all, if they were out in public with friends, it was hardly ever these kinds of people. Gotham's upper class had all been trying to snag a Wayne since Bruce burst on the nightclub scene as the most eligible bachelor nearly twenty years ago. The second he sat down he was the center of attention. 

"Why are you starting the semester so late?" Allen Parker asked bluntly. Dick had once gotten into a fist fight with Allen's older brother and the tension between the families had been overt ever since. Tim wasn't sure what had happened, but Jason said it was the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen. He still roasted Carl Parker over it every time he ran into him. 

"Just decided to come back from home schooling," he told them vaguely. Everyone here was more than aware that Tim had stepped in as CEO of Wayne Enterprises while Bruce had been 'missing'. He was confident that they would read between the lines. 

"Uh huh," Blair Carpenter said and tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder. 

"Blair Carpenter," Jason said. "Old money originally out of Vermont. Her family moved to Gotham two generations ago to try their hand at big business." 

"So anyway, we were planning on going to Harper's Row tonight. You in?" Blair continued. 

He heard Roy snort. Harper's Row was Jason's favorite civilian bar and he was photographed there all the time. It was in a seedier part of town and provided rich kids with a sense of adventure. They also famously didn't card. Jason and Dick went there to play up their party image. When Jason really wanted to drink, he would go down into Crime Alley or curl up in the cave with a bottle daring anyone but Alfred to come close. He always reminded Tim of a feral alley cat in those moments. 

"Yeah, sure," Tim said. "Haven't been there in a while. That should be fun." 

"Oh, that's right," Blair simpered, not convincing Tim in the slightest. "Your older brother goes there a lot, doesn't he? What’s his name? The hot one?" 

"She better be talking about me," Jason snarked. Roy laughed. Tim found them very distracting. 

"Dick?" he asked. 

"No, the other one," she said and Tim heard a satisfied, HA! 

"Jason, you mean." 

He was doing his best not to seem completely annoyed, talking about his hot older brothers. 

"Hi everyone!" a fourth person said, as they blew in. "I heard we were going to Harper's Row tonight!" They sat down, nodded at Tim to acknowledge he existed and went back to chatting aimlessly, effectively drawing the attention of the table. "Heard the police were being more strict about the underage thing so be sure to bring your good IDs. The ones that pass the special stamp test." 

"Okay," Blair mumbled, already distracted by her text messages. 

"Maxwell Cord," Jason said. "His dad hates Bruce for some reason. B said it happened when they were teenagers and won't say anything else. The kid seems friendly enough but watch out." 

"Anyway," Maxwell said, standing up again. "Thank god it's Tuesday!" 

He disappeared nearly as quickly as he arrived. 

Tim was left thinking about how he really needed to catch up with Bart. He made a mental note to email him. 

00000 

Tim met his four fellow students at the bar that night. He had been added to the group text and had informed them that he was getting a ride with his brothers and he would meet them there. 

"But you're underaged," had been Dick's first reaction when Tim had told him the plan. Jason's eye roll had been spectacular. 

"Don't worry," he told Dick. "The replacement will keep his Pina coladas virgin." Roy had snickered and Dick had pursed his lips but agreed to go in the end. It had been a while since he'd been in the papers and he needed some good old-fashioned tabloid publicity. 

However, while Dick had been in the shower, Jason and Roy had slipped him a small baggy with four round, bright pink tablets in it. 

"This is a replica of the ecstasy brand we're looking for," Roy told him. "They're sugar pills so don't let anyone else take them. But we're going to wander up to you at some point and ask to have some. Be obvious about it." 

"Got it," Tim said, and tucked the bag in the back pocket of his jeans. "And don't tell Dick." 

"That's what I like about you," Jason said. "You catch on real fucking quick." 

Jason pulled this on Dick all the time. He made an outrageous situation look so real that their older brother would give a real reaction. It really sold the whole scenario and always made for a good joke on Bat Burger Night. 

00000 

The best part of the night was watching Jason put up with Blair's blatant flirting from across the bar while Dick and Roy ignored his exaggerated but silent pleas for help. Although, Tim was a little worried about how much alcohol Jason was putting away. Tim and Dick had been nursing the same drink for an hour and Roy was drinking soda. Sitting with the other three kids from Gotham Academy, Tim did his best to seem normal. He thought he was doing a rather good job of it. If only Conner could see him now.  
The group seemed genuinely interested in everything he had to say but he was mostly sure that his new last name had done most of the heavy lifting on that.

He was listening to Allen Parker tell a long story about skiing in Aspen while high on cocaine when Jason stumbled over with Blair hot on his heels. She was clearly drunk if her glazed over expression was anything to go by. Tim had seen Jason drunk enough times to know that he was just tipsy and grossly exaggerating but he stumbled and burped with the best of them. 

"Baby brother!" Jason yelled over the music and hugged Tim so hard he almost toppled out his chair. He sloshed his drink, though. There was a strong smell of whiskey. 

"Jason!" he snapped. "What the fuck?" 

"Language!" Jason laughed, Blair giggling madly as she slipped into a chair. "Do you have my good stuff?" 

"Yeah," Tim said. "Here." 

He stood, slipped his hand in his back pocket and blatantly opened the bag, fishing out two sugar pills that Jason popped in his mouth. The older teen fake toasted him with his whiskey and poured the last of it in his mouth, washing down his pills.  
"Thanks, Timmy," Jason said. "Here, I'll take them now. Thanks!" 

Jason took the baggie and practically ran back to the bar where Dick was scowling at him, having clearly seen the whole thing. Tim didn't doubt that Dick knew he had been played but his big brother mode was going strong lately now that he didn't have to be the new Bruce. He was back in his element and he was going full throttle. 

Tim sat back down. Since he'd been invited to hang out with them again, he knew that they were cool with him. Maxwell even promised to give him some of his pills since Jason had taken back all his. 

00000 

The next invitation came a few days later when Blair invited Tim to a party at her family’s penthouse, set for that Saturday. He was supposed to go with Bruce and Damian to a Wayne Foundation event but jumped at any reason to duck out of it. 

“You’re what?” Bruce asked. He’d clearly not been paying attention to Tim as the teenager told him about his change of plans. The man had been emailing on his phone, his eyes glazed over with exhaustion. Tim had chosen to break the news at breakfast, an event Bruce hardly ever functioned through. “You’re working a case with Jason?”

“Why is that so surprising?” Tim asked him. “We’ve worked plenty of cases together before.” 

“Mostly the big stuff,” Bruce replied. “You two never work supply chain cases like this.” 

“He asked for my help,” Tim shrugged. Bruce raised an eyebrow and his face clearly said he was suspicious but in the end, he let it go. 

“Fine,” he said. “Just be careful.” 

“Thanks!” 

00000 

He really should have known that the group wasn’t filled with good but ultimately misguided kids. He had been in enough private schools and boarding schools to know that the kids at this level society were cruel and hard in a way people like Jason would never understand. Their ability to look at someone and not see a human being was truly a special skill. 

And that was how Tim was choosing to see this moment at this party as he pretended to call for Jason on his cell phone but was really getting first aid instructions over the comm link. 

He knew what he was doing of course but that gruff, slightly gravelly voice in his ear was truly a calming factor to him and reminded him that he was out of uniform and with civilians. And here in front of him was Blair, overdosing on that pink ecstasy. Suddenly, Jason was there in front of him, Roy right behind him and on the phone with the ambulance. Tim let them take over and stood back, prepared to play the freaked out little brother card. 

“What are you doing?” Maxwell demanded. “You can’t call the fucking cops!” 

“He’s calling the paramedics,” Tim seethed at him, stepping in to keep Maxwell from trying to reach Roy. The man would have been able to handle him fine, but Tim preferred that he focus on the phone call. “She’s overdosing and needs help. If you’re worried about the cops then you should leave. Now.” 

The last word he shouted and with all his Teen Titans authority behind it. Maxwell took one look at his face, then at Jason giving Blair CPR on the floor of her family’s penthouse and took off for the elevator. The entire party followed, even Kiera whom Tim had assumed would stay to help considering how long she hesitated. He gave her a look of disgust when she tried to convince him to come too. 

“I’ll stay, thanks,” he said. “I have to help my brother.” And with that, she left. 

When the police arrived sometime after the paramedics had stabilized Blair and begun transporting her to the hospital, he gave his statement alongside Jason and Roy. As it wasn’t his home, his party, or his drugs, Tim was let go with a warning. 

“The real reason you’re getting just a warning,” the patrolman had told him. “Is because you stayed and called for help. You’re a good friend.” 

“We’re not friends,” Tim had told him honestly. “We barely know each other.” 

“And you still stayed?” 

“She needed help,” Tim said. He could feel Jason’s eyes boring into his back. “May I go home now? I have to talk to my dad.” 

“Yes,” the cop said, eyeing him. “You’re free to go.  
”  
00000 

“Based on the statement you gave, the police were able to track down where Blair got the pills and have started to work their way up the supply chain,” Bruce told him a few nights later. Tim had been in the window seat of his room, too tired to go back to his apartment. He’d been scrolling mindlessly on his phone when Bruce had come in and joined him on the seat. 

“That’s good I guess,” Tim said absently. 

“Blair’s parents called me today,” Bruce added. “To thank me for what you and Jason did. She’s going to be just fine.” 

“And hopefully find better friends,” Tim sniped. Bruce gave him a small smile and reached out to ruffle his hair. 

“Try to get some sleep tonight, Timmy,” he said standing up and stretching. Tim knew Bruce must be really concerned about what was going through his head. He only used 'Timmy' when he trying to be extra nice. “I’m headed to bed, come wake me up if you need me.” 

“Thanks,” Tim replied as Bruce left. 

00000 

At some point in the night Damian poked his head into Tim's room. Seeing him still in the window seat he walked into the room and stood in front of Tim, tapping his foot until the older boy finally acknowledged him with a sigh. 

"I'm not in the mood to fight Damian," he said. 

"I'm not here to fight," Damian replied as if that should have been obvious to Tim from the start. 

"Then what do you want?" The two of them had always had the most contentious relationship of any of the brothers, including Jason who had once tried to slit his throat. But then, Damian had tried to kill him too. Tim idly wondered if he was the problem there.

"Is it scary?" Damian asked after he visibly worked himself up to asking. 

"Is what scary?" Tim clarified, a little surprised but doing his best to hide it. He didn't want to spook the kid. 

"Seeing an overdose," Damian said. "I've never seen one before." 

Tim was forcibly reminded that even though Damian was a master with poisons and had probably seen one or two in action, he wasn't nearly as well versed in street drugs the way the rest of them were. He had taken down drug dealers, but Bruce had mostly kicked the big drug cases to Jason who basically specialized in them now. 

"A little," Tim replied. "It's mostly sad to watch, especially this one. Her friends abandoned her the second she needed their help. If we hadn't been there, they probably would have run and left her for dead." 

"Ttt," Damian replied, making that little noise he always made before he made snap judgement. Though Tim noticed that his judgments were starting sound more like Bruce then Ras al Ghul. "Those aren't friends. Those are snakes." With that he turned on his heel and marched out of Tim's room, presumably to go to sleep. 

"Yeah, they are," Tim replied to his empty room and, feeling rather bemused, finally crawled into his own bed. 

That Jon kid was really starting to have an effect on Damian. Tim hoped it would last.


End file.
